Soon after the National Exhibition of Women's Labor
Nationale Tentoonstelling van Vrouwenarbeid 1898|(nl) was held, the board members of the exhibition decided that an umbrella organization called the National Women's Council of the Netherlands () would be beneficial for uniting women in the improvement of their legal, political and socio-economic status in the country. On 29 October 1898 the organization was founded with the first chairman designated as
Mariane van Hogendorp and was affiliated with the
International Council of Women. The NVR membership was neither tied to political ideology or religious affiliation, which meant that debate on various points of view were welcomed, but also at times made members uncomfortable as their particular customs or practices had to be set aside for the advancement of the whole group. The council had a requirement that all affiliated associations, companies, or organizations have at least one woman who was a member of their governing board. To ensure that no single organization could dominate the other members, the bylaws specified that all decisions had to be unanimous. It was also hoped that such a rule would cause the women to discuss and eliminate issues which were divisive. Among the issues the Council focused upon initially were equal education for girls and boys, the inclusion of women in employment opportunities, health and sanitation legislation, illegitimacy, loss of women's autonomy upon marriage, prostitution, alcoholism, and other social ills. Initially,
women's suffrage was not an area in which the women focused; however, increasing involvement of several members like
Aletta Jacobs with international suffragists like
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and
Susan B. Anthony, led the NVT to begin pressing for political rights. ==Modern organization==